A Cuban Kumbaya?

When WaPo columnist Eugene Robinson and The Refugee agree down the line, can hand-holding, misty eyes and singin' 'round the campfire be far behind? Under the heading "say it ain't so," this column from Robinson brings the two of them together.

Robinson makes two assertions: 1) the Congressional Black Caucus was duped during its recent visit to Fidel's Island Paradise and made fools of themselves, and 2) lifting the embargo is the fastest way to bring down the current regime. As Robinson points out, Cuba is still a racist nation and Fidel harbors no good will toward America. He is also correct that the embargo has outlived its usefulness. The embargo made sense when trying to prevent Fidel from acquiring military means and forcing the Soviets to expend valuable resources propping up a parasitic client state. Those conditions no longer exist, and The Refugee believes that Fidel/Raul would never be able to maintain Chinese-like control in the face of a capitalist onslaught 90 miles away.

What we should do is lift the embargo, which Obama hasn't disturbed, and end the travel ban for everyone. That would put the onus on the Cubans to somehow keep hordes of American capitalists and tourists from infecting the island with dangerous, counterrevolutionary ideas. But we should take these steps with our eyes open, seeing Cuba as it is, not as we might want it to be.

...

It is in Castro's interest to sabotage any genuine movement in Washington toward normalized relations, because any lessening of tension would destroy the government's stated rationale for denying Cubans basic political freedoms: that any opening would be exploited by the imperialist enemy to the north.

It's enough to make The Refugee break out into song.

Hat tip: realclearpolitics.com

Cuba Posted by Boulder Refugee at April 14, 2009 11:26 AM